Posted on 04/25/2014 6:49:36 PM PDT by nickcarraway
MOSCOW, Idaho--One local man said he dedicates his free time to collecting copies of the movie Speed. Ryan Beitz, of Moscow, wants to be the sole owner of every VHS copy of the 1994 thriller starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
“One time I bought 30 copies from a store,” said Beitz.
What started as a joke, when Beitz bought six copies from a pawnshop seven years ago, turned into a campaign.
“We're running a Kick-Starter to get the van fixed up and painted like the bus from the movie Speed. It's so we can travel the country, come to your town and get copies of Speed,” said Beitz.
It's rare to come across VHS tapes today in a world of DVD's. Beitz had 550 VHS tapes of the movie as of April 23.
“A lot of people just donate them to me, they send them from all over. I've got a few from Japan,” said Beitz. “I would buy them all off of Amazon but the shipping costs $4 when the copy costs a penny. It's ridiculous.”
It could be Beitz’ enthusiasm that's driven this obsession to go viral.
Beitz started the World Speed Project in 2007. His one-man mission took off in April and was picked up by NPR, Good Morning America and a Japanese reality TV production company.
“No one ever really knows if the work they're doing is making the world a better place or not, but they don't give up. That's how Speed works. We just have to keep going no matter what,” said Beitz.
KREM 2 News asked Beitz if he could estimate how many copies of the movie he wanted to get his hands on before he would stop looking.
“No, I'm never giving up. I can't stop my whole life because I'll never know. So, I'll die looking for Speed,” said Beitz.
A man has to have a hobby... no matter how gay it is.
Send him to the Ukrainian front...
Some people have lives, others just collect VHS copies of Speed. To each his/her own.
That would make a lot more sense.
It’s a low-tech alternative to Bitcoin.
I first thought he was Russian too, but collecting the movie. Somehow that made it seem even stranger.
I take every copy of Speed in store.
He is a Speed Freak.
Moscow Michigan was only about 10 miles from where I grew up. I have two sisters living there now.
He is a Speed Freak.
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Lol!
I’ve got a copy that has been collecting dust. Maybe it will be worth something when this guy has every copy but mine.
I’d love to see the episode of Pawn Stars when he tries to sell them all.
Someone should look into frontrunning. They can buy up copies of speed and sell it to him at a profit.
Except somebody can always make one more copy.
This is on a par with collecting all the chicken bones from Eric Cartman’s diet.
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